Washington, D.C., March 8, 2011
By Williams Ekanem
Chirman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care on Tuesday presented a bill to Congress which aims to prevent the unsafe use of prescription drugs.
Addressing Congressional Reporters later in the day, the Senator said that, “I have heared far too many drugs abuse is hurting young people, children, families and local business. Although this is a serious problem throughout the country, it is heratbreaking that prescription drug deaths have been particulary devasting in West Virginia.”
According to Rockefeller, “my bill aims to change this course and help reduce the number of deaths from prescription drugs. As well as better assist those facing problems with abuse. I will continue to make this initiative a top priority.”
At the media breifing, Rockefeller, who was joined by Senators Schumer, Casey, Nelson and Brown said the bill would also help reduce the number of deaths from prescription drugs, as well as help states create and maintain prescription drug monitoring programs that all states can access.
Rockefeller’s bill aims to combat prescription drug related deaths andoverdoes by amongst others: requiring that health care professionals receive speciallised training on safe pain management in order to be licensed to prescribe these powerful drugs.
Giving consumers potentially life-saving information by funding a competitive grant program to states to educate consumers on the proper use of prescription drugs and how to prevent abuse.
It also proposes creating a commision to establish appropraite and safe guidelines for all dosing of prescription drugs, benchmarks to reduce abuse, and patient education guidelines.
It also proposes providing $25 million annually to establish prescription drug monitorng programs within each state where sates can share information with each other.
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